THIS. I lived in Japan from 1995-2002 and the Mamiya 7 with the 65, 43, and 150 were my mainstay. Took some of my best pictures ever with it. It definitely made me eager to go out and use it. A lot of day-dreaming between those actual shoots. I started with the 80 but the 65 was even better. Not for picture quality but perspective. Incredibly natural feel on the subject at mid-distance plus the bigger background. The 43 was mind-blowingly good. No distortion in prints. At the time, before digital correction, this was the only way. The 150 was too hard to use. The whole system was light and compact for easy travel. A suitable tripod could be stupid-light…the little lens leaf shutters didn’t induce shake so you could get away with it. But it was the colors that were addicting. The incredible contrast brought them out like nothing I saw before. The Canon RF L glass is in the same class now, I think, but the creamy pastels from the Mamiya are this signature effect that I’ve not seen elsewhere.
The Mamiya 7ii is a great all-around 6x7 film camera. I used one in the exact same color and with the same lens as yours for 15 years or so and took thousands and thousands of photos. The photos really are the best part of that camera. Getting such large and sharp negatives with a easily handheld camera is awesome. It is a great tool. I did recently sell mine because I just felt the price was a bit more than the worth. For camera feel in hand I love the feel of Leica and Fujifilm medium format 6x9 or 6x8 cameras. Those cameras don't need batteries either. Anyway, happy shooting!
@@popularbehaviour You lose automatic and it slows you down, so that is good and bad. The Mamiya 7 batteries are so cheap and last forever too, so not an issue. I also remember the viewfinder and focusing system is insanely nice.
It's a faux pas to say, but gear really ends up driving so much of my shooting...so many "series" have sprung from the need to take a "test roll" with a new camera. It gets you shooting and that's what counts.
Years ago, when I shot film exclusively for my jobs (lots of travel outside the US) I tried to fall in love with this camera. Somehow I never jelled with this body. At the time I was shooting Mamiya RZ67 and Pentax67 and Sinar P2 4x5. I really, really wanted to make the Mamiya 7ii be the camera I would take on international travel since it was so small but most of my work I shot first with polaroids and then a film back--lots of resort work with interiors and food and portraits. I can totally see how you fell in love with the 7 and how it serves you very well and helps get great images--and so much lighter than the aforementioned cameras and still with the fantastic Mamiya build. I still occasionally shoot film but I use the RZ67 and Hasselblad bodies. I wish there was still 4x5 polaroid because I'd be all over that....
@@popularbehaviour I think the 43mm and the 80mm. I gravitate towards "normal" lenses. But on some of my travel jobs I really needed a wide lens for landscapes or architecture. I love photographers who can use wide lenses and make the image feel personal. For most of my jobs these days I usually use a normal or a macro.
Welcome to the club. I have been using my 7ii for over 10 years for both personal and commercial work. . I purchased it like new boxed with 2 lenses for $1200. I sold my 2 leicas and invested in all 6x7 gear. It's the best 120 camera i have ever had. And I have had a few. The only camera I will never sell. I also use 4x5 but the mamiya is such a gem. Congrats!
I owned a Mamiya 7 from about 2007 to 2018 or so… it change how I shot back then, and I created some of my favorite images with it. To this day it’s the only camera I really got emotionally attached to. I regret selling it. Despite that, I’m grateful for the time I spent with it. Happy to see you find you own way with the Mamiya 7.
I think it highlights the importance of moment vs equipment. My film journey has really opened my eyes to the fact that a good photograph is less about gear and all about everything else. This comment will make me work harder with the Mamiya 7!
I wasn't going to get the Mamiya 7, but someone offered me a deal for the og version and the 80mm. I couldn't pass it up. After a year with it, I prefer the photos from the RZ67. So I carry the Mamiya 7 around for "snapshots" and the rz67 around for something more.
I started in 2008 with the contax 645. The Mamiya 7 is my EDC, but the RZ67 is my choice for when I want to do a photo shoot. And by "photoshoot", I mean out with the dogs and the lighting is beautiful.
I should say, 2008 was a borrowed 1951 Reollichord 6x6. Immediately fell in love and bought the Contax 645. 2014, I added a Nikon f5 to my nikon digital gear. Then some random russian 35mm and polaroid landcameras 2018-2019. 2020 was a 2x Mamiya 645 with film and digital backs. 2021 was the Fuji G690BLP. 2022 was the Rz67. 2023 was the Mamiya 7. Now, I swap out my cameras every month or so.
Such a lovely video. I was nodding my head in agreement throughout. (I did something similar back in 2014, boarding a plane from Denver to Portland to buy my Mamiya 7 from a college photo major who was switching to digital. I still own it and shoot with it regularly.) I wish it went beyond 1/500 and that the lenses had less vignetting, but otherwise, such a joy to use. Some of my favorite photos and moments surround it. Thanks for sharing!
TH-cam just recommended this in my feed, I loved it! I like your style, I'll follow from now on here and on IG. I love my 7 too, it really is an inspiring thing. I've scanned some Ektar frames with an a7Riv and a coolscan 8000 lens using stitching, the final output is a 300Mpx image (way overkill but that lens demands 1:1 reproduction). The amount of information these lenses produce is nothing less than breathtaking. I'd be comfortable printing those files at 5m long. The largest I've printed so far is 30" and it looks great. Enjoy it!
I had one of these in the early 2000's and sold it when I went digital. Not a day goes by where I don't miss it. When I get another one I am going to be buried with it.
The TH-cam algorithm never lets me down...although halfway through this video I started looking up Mamiya 7II's on eBay and wow those are expensiveee. What'd you end up getting yours for? Excited for more videos in the future (production quality is superb)
@@drewcigna8197 I hate to kiss and tell but it was about half of what they’re going for currently on eBay. If I had to do it again, I’d probably go for a Fuji GFX, now I know what I’m doing I think you can make great photos with any camera. Of course having a Mamiya 7 is a total dream that I intend to use as long as I can.
I saw your Kyoto video before this introductory one. This one confirms one issue I noted from the Mamiya stills shots, you had the colour negative film digitised on a drum scanner. I have a thousand or so digital files of scanned transparency (Kodachrome, Ektachrome) and colour negative images I have taken since the 60s, but using Nikon Coolscan equipment. More recently I rescanned a lot of them on Imacon high end scanner, but even that will not yield the quality you get from the drum scanner shown in your video. Yes, you will find it a costly hobby for film plus development plus top quality digitisation, but keep at it….and find some wider angle Mamiya lenses to really discover the pleasures of your camera.
@@davidwilliamson6532 Otha La for the comment! All of my Mamiya 7 film from the Japan trip was developed and scanned by The Canadian Film Lab on a Fuji Frontier SP3000 scanner. I really want to try the 65mm lens.
Why did I only find out about you now!? If you keep those videos up, you gonna hit 100k by the end of next year! And thank you for triggering my urge to buy a Mamiya 7 again, I thought I was over it…
I didn’t leave film. Film left me. Fact is Portra 400 got so expensive every snap of the shutter is like dropping $2 or $3 on the floor once you’ve factored in developing and scanning. Printing? Add another $2. I just couldn’t afford it anymore. Got a 50R “faux medium format” digi, the Fuji 50mm cupcake 🧁 and the Mitakon 80mm. It’s no Mamiya, but within 500 shots or less, you’re well ahead of the cost of film.
@ the 50MP bodies are finally at a price point where it’s feasible. Not so much the native lenses, but adapting them is cheap and if you’re used to the speed of medium format film, manual focus ain’t a problem.
@@popularbehaviour I did buy the GFX100II and so far love the camera. A bit of a learning curve coming off the Canon R5 menu but the files from the Fujifilm GFX are so nice. (not cheap...😭)
This is a wonderful video! I am heartbroken in some bittersweet way, and I wonder if I should skip my full-time job altogether and do something that would make me feel so much. Also, could you share what music you used here?
I borrowed a friends Mamiya 7 II and shot a roll through it and his Mamiya 7 II was definitely trigger happy. I accedentley shot 3 shots in that 1 roll when I was trying to half press the shutter button to exposure lock the shot. It definitely did not feel right and it actually turned me off from trying to use his camera. I did pick up a mint Mamiya 7 II Black from my local camera store and mine works perfectly. I have taken it on multiple trips and other special occasions and it has never accidently triggered a shot. Not all mamiya 7's have sensitive shutter buttons. Also not sure if you know but the Mamiya 7 bassicly spot meters and that is why I exposure lock on what I want exposed properly. All in all, I love my Mamiya 7II and have had excellent results with it.
Mine has a very distinct "click" when you fire. Below the button there's a little metallic dome that gets inverted when you press the button, like those seal indicators in drinks and some tomato sauces. Maybe those very sensitive ones have the little dome permanently inverted and just away from making electrical contact? Otherwise it doesn't make sense for it to be very sensitive
@@javixo1997 I think you are on to something and you may be correct about this, Like I said in my original comment, my friends Mamiya 7 II shutter button was definitely very sensitive and I don't think it's a matter of getting use to it. My Mamiya 7 II shutter button works perfect and there was no trying to get use to it. I have many many film cameras and can say that I feel that some 7II may have this problem because I did see others comment on this problem online.
WHY? You have to scan them anyway so you get a digital file. Other than the "romantic feeling" of shooting film how does it make sense? Do you not like money?
@@genernator digitizing film is like taking a photo of a painting, all the character is in there. It’s definitely an expensive endeavour. Part of me thinks investing in a Fuji GFX would be smarter but I absolutely loathe editing photos!
Loved the video! I once sold my Mamiya 7II and immediately felt a wave of seller's remorse. Thankfully, last year I came across a mint-condition grey Mamiya 7 (with a factory-upgraded viewfinder and strap lugs) here in Japan for a fantastic price. Needless to say, I’ll never part with this one!
These cameras were never cheap. But there was a time in the early 2000s when people were ditching film gear for stupid low prices. I think I paid the equivalent of $150 on a Pentax 67 with a 105 lens on it and about the same on a Mamiya C330 with four lenses. Around 2007. It was a nice time to buy cameras that you'd dreamed of owning but couldn't have afforded before even used. We'll probably come to realise something similar about now as cameras begin to break down with age and what seems like an undesirable low-tier SLR becomes highly prized simply for being still functional.
@ the same thing happened with synthesizers and drum machines. Analog synths were replaced by digital, people dropped them for cheap and a new generation picked them up. It’s crazy how technology is always pushing forward.
Out-of-towner stealing an opportunity from me 😤😤 lol jk I can’t afford one rn even if I wanted one. Great find! I would love one of these someday. There’s a guy at the local photo center I go to toprint and he uses one of these. His photos are always breath taking
Algorithm sent me here, a very well produced video, I liked all of the added historical context you included.
@@Disco_Shrew algorithms can be good!
Can't wait to see where you take this channel mate! Brilliant stuff
Appreciate that!
Beautiful video! Amazing photographs! You got it!
THIS. I lived in Japan from 1995-2002 and the Mamiya 7 with the 65, 43, and 150 were my mainstay. Took some of my best pictures ever with it. It definitely made me eager to go out and use it. A lot of day-dreaming between those actual shoots. I started with the 80 but the 65 was even better. Not for picture quality but perspective. Incredibly natural feel on the subject at mid-distance plus the bigger background. The 43 was mind-blowingly good. No distortion in prints. At the time, before digital correction, this was the only way. The 150 was too hard to use. The whole system was light and compact for easy travel. A suitable tripod could be stupid-light…the little lens leaf shutters didn’t induce shake so you could get away with it.
But it was the colors that were addicting. The incredible contrast brought them out like nothing I saw before. The Canon RF L glass is in the same class now, I think, but the creamy pastels from the Mamiya are this signature effect that I’ve not seen elsewhere.
That’s some great insight, I’m super interested in either the 65mm or the 43mm. Love to see some of your work.
@@popularbehaviour Not sure how many of these are public…but these I scanned
The Mamiya 7ii is a great all-around 6x7 film camera. I used one in the exact same color and with the same lens as yours for 15 years or so and took thousands and thousands of photos. The photos really are the best part of that camera. Getting such large and sharp negatives with a easily handheld camera is awesome. It is a great tool.
I did recently sell mine because I just felt the price was a bit more than the worth. For camera feel in hand I love the feel of Leica and Fujifilm medium format 6x9 or 6x8 cameras. Those cameras don't need batteries either. Anyway, happy shooting!
@@bensan9 definitely love the idea of all mechanical.
@@popularbehaviour You lose automatic and it slows you down, so that is good and bad. The Mamiya 7 batteries are so cheap and last forever too, so not an issue. I also remember the viewfinder and focusing system is insanely nice.
@@bensan9 it’s a really great shooting experience. Feels perfect for environmental portraits
It's a faux pas to say, but gear really ends up driving so much of my shooting...so many "series" have sprung from the need to take a "test roll" with a new camera. It gets you shooting and that's what counts.
Wow Gavin, beautiful work! Love the storytelling and level of maturity you bring to this platform, outstanding. From a fellow Vancouverite!
@@adamstevensvisuals subscribed!
Years ago, when I shot film exclusively for my jobs (lots of travel outside the US) I tried to fall in love with this camera. Somehow I never jelled with this body. At the time I was shooting Mamiya RZ67 and Pentax67 and Sinar P2 4x5. I really, really wanted to make the Mamiya 7ii be the camera I would take on international travel since it was so small but most of my work I shot first with polaroids and then a film back--lots of resort work with interiors and food and portraits. I can totally see how you fell in love with the 7 and how it serves you very well and helps get great images--and so much lighter than the aforementioned cameras and still with the fantastic Mamiya build. I still occasionally shoot film but I use the RZ67 and Hasselblad bodies. I wish there was still 4x5 polaroid because I'd be all over that....
@@jimjimgl3 thanks for the comment! Do you remember which lenses you tried with. The Mamiya 7?
@@popularbehaviour I think the 43mm and the 80mm. I gravitate towards "normal" lenses. But on some of my travel jobs I really needed a wide lens for landscapes or architecture. I love photographers who can use wide lenses and make the image feel personal. For most of my jobs these days I usually use a normal or a macro.
@@jimjimgl3 Love to know what you're shooting today.
Welcome to the club. I have been using my 7ii for over 10 years for both personal and commercial work. . I purchased it like new boxed with 2 lenses for $1200. I sold my 2 leicas and invested in all 6x7 gear. It's the best 120 camera i have ever had. And I have had a few. The only camera I will never sell. I also use 4x5 but the mamiya is such a gem. Congrats!
Thanks a million!
Great video! That 70’s house was SO right place for that camera.
I owned a Mamiya 7 from about 2007 to 2018 or so… it change how I shot back then, and I created some of my favorite images with it. To this day it’s the only camera I really got emotionally attached to. I regret selling it. Despite that, I’m grateful for the time I spent with it. Happy to see you find you own way with the Mamiya 7.
@@withfilm thanks for sharing, what are you shooting with today?
I think it highlights the importance of moment vs equipment. My film journey has really opened my eyes to the fact that a good photograph is less about gear and all about everything else. This comment will make me work harder with the Mamiya 7!
I am so grateful for being suggested this video! Thank you for sharing this great content 👏
Appreciate the comment! Thank you
well done man. loving your videos and photos! Inspiring.
Incredible work, as usual.
@@ThePhotoDept 🙌🙌🙌
That means a lot!
yup i knew i am gonna love it from the thumbnail.
Thank you!
I wasn't going to get the Mamiya 7, but someone offered me a deal for the og version and the 80mm. I couldn't pass it up. After a year with it, I prefer the photos from the RZ67. So I carry the Mamiya 7 around for "snapshots" and the rz67 around for something more.
@@revaaron RZ is a heavy hitter, love to use one.
I started in 2008 with the contax 645. The Mamiya 7 is my EDC, but the RZ67 is my choice for when I want to do a photo shoot. And by "photoshoot", I mean out with the dogs and the lighting is beautiful.
I should say, 2008 was a borrowed 1951 Reollichord 6x6. Immediately fell in love and bought the Contax 645. 2014, I added a Nikon f5 to my nikon digital gear. Then some random russian 35mm and polaroid landcameras 2018-2019. 2020 was a 2x Mamiya 645 with film and digital backs. 2021 was the Fuji G690BLP. 2022 was the Rz67. 2023 was the Mamiya 7. Now, I swap out my cameras every month or so.
I just bought a Mamiya 6 MF and am as excited as you are! Sadly the weather here in Netherlands is too dark to take photos at the moment :(
Think of the money you’re saving on film by living in the Northern Hemisphere!
Such a lovely video. I was nodding my head in agreement throughout.
(I did something similar back in 2014, boarding a plane from Denver to Portland to buy my Mamiya 7 from a college photo major who was switching to digital. I still own it and shoot with it regularly.)
I wish it went beyond 1/500 and that the lenses had less vignetting, but otherwise, such a joy to use. Some of my favorite photos and moments surround it.
Thanks for sharing!
@@jessyel likewise, love your story!
Awesome video dude! Goes well with a coffee on a wet west coast Sunday
@@CorySchadt thank you!
Awesome video! I’ve been wanting one of these for years. Ended up getting a 67ii. I still want the mamiya bad though. Maybe some day.
@@jharrelphoto the Pentax should keep you out of trouble!
TH-cam just recommended this in my feed, I loved it! I like your style, I'll follow from now on here and on IG. I love my 7 too, it really is an inspiring thing.
I've scanned some Ektar frames with an a7Riv and a coolscan 8000 lens using stitching, the final output is a 300Mpx image (way overkill but that lens demands 1:1 reproduction). The amount of information these lenses produce is nothing less than breathtaking. I'd be comfortable printing those files at 5m long. The largest I've printed so far is 30" and it looks great.
Enjoy it!
@@javixo1997 love to see those!
I had one of these in the early 2000's and sold it when I went digital. Not a day goes by where I don't miss it. When I get another one I am going to be buried with it.
It really resonates with me that giddiness of picking up these cameras to take a couple of photographs. Great video and commentary
Thank you!
The TH-cam algorithm never lets me down...although halfway through this video I started looking up Mamiya 7II's on eBay and wow those are expensiveee. What'd you end up getting yours for? Excited for more videos in the future (production quality is superb)
@@drewcigna8197 I hate to kiss and tell but it was about half of what they’re going for currently on eBay. If I had to do it again, I’d probably go for a Fuji GFX, now I know what I’m doing I think you can make great photos with any camera. Of course having a Mamiya 7 is a total dream that I intend to use as long as I can.
I saw your Kyoto video before this introductory one. This one confirms one issue I noted from the Mamiya stills shots, you had the colour negative film digitised on a drum scanner.
I have a thousand or so digital files of scanned transparency (Kodachrome, Ektachrome) and colour negative images I have taken since the 60s, but using Nikon Coolscan equipment. More recently I rescanned a lot of them on Imacon high end scanner, but even that will not yield the quality you get from the drum scanner shown in your video.
Yes, you will find it a costly hobby for film plus development plus top quality digitisation, but keep at it….and find some wider angle Mamiya lenses to really discover the pleasures of your camera.
@@davidwilliamson6532 Otha La for the comment! All of my Mamiya 7 film from the Japan trip was developed and scanned by The Canadian Film Lab on a Fuji Frontier SP3000 scanner. I really want to try the 65mm lens.
Another great video. Vibes for days.
🙌🙌🙌
Why did I only find out about you now!? If you keep those videos up, you gonna hit 100k by the end of next year! And thank you for triggering my urge to buy a Mamiya 7 again, I thought I was over it…
lol!
Great video, enjoy your Mamiya!
@@tonym9635 thank you! More to follow, be sure to Subscribe!
I didn’t leave film. Film left me. Fact is Portra 400 got so expensive every snap of the shutter is like dropping $2 or $3 on the floor once you’ve factored in developing and scanning. Printing? Add another $2. I just couldn’t afford it anymore. Got a 50R “faux medium format” digi, the Fuji 50mm cupcake 🧁 and the Mitakon 80mm. It’s no Mamiya, but within 500 shots or less, you’re well ahead of the cost of film.
@@MikeLikesChannel film in 2024 makes no sense but I absolutely love it. I really do want to try a Fuji GFX at some point.
@ the 50MP bodies are finally at a price point where it’s feasible. Not so much the native lenses, but adapting them is cheap and if you’re used to the speed of medium format film, manual focus ain’t a problem.
@@popularbehaviour I did buy the GFX100II and so far love the camera. A bit of a learning curve coming off the Canon R5 menu but the files from the Fujifilm GFX are so nice. (not cheap...😭)
@@jimjimgl3 I really want to spend time with that camera
I'm excited to watch your GAS journey 😉
Love the Mamiya 7ii. Bought one 4 years ago. Nowadays I only run about one roll through it a year. But couldn't get myself to sell.
@@stevenonyoutube I think selling gear you love will only end in heartbreak! I learned that with some vintage drum machines
My 7 was the best film camera purchase along side my EOS 3. Damn now I just need a 500C.
@@damons6759 500C would be incredible
This is a wonderful video! I am heartbroken in some bittersweet way, and I wonder if I should skip my full-time job altogether and do something that would make me feel so much.
Also, could you share what music you used here?
I make all the music in my videos. Thank you for the comment!
I borrowed a friends Mamiya 7 II and shot a roll through it and his Mamiya 7 II was definitely trigger happy. I accedentley shot 3 shots in that 1 roll when I was trying to half press the shutter button to exposure lock the shot. It definitely did not feel right and it actually turned me off from trying to use his camera. I did pick up a mint Mamiya 7 II Black from my local camera store and mine works perfectly. I have taken it on multiple trips and other special occasions and it has never accidently triggered a shot. Not all mamiya 7's have sensitive shutter buttons. Also not sure if you know but the Mamiya 7 bassicly spot meters and that is why I exposure lock on what I want exposed properly. All in all, I love my Mamiya 7II and have had excellent results with it.
@@jebeq2007 for sure, it took about 3 rolls to feel natural with it. Now it’s not an issue.📸
Mine has a very distinct "click" when you fire. Below the button there's a little metallic dome that gets inverted when you press the button, like those seal indicators in drinks and some tomato sauces. Maybe those very sensitive ones have the little dome permanently inverted and just away from making electrical contact? Otherwise it doesn't make sense for it to be very sensitive
@ It’s more like you just need to get to know it . Feels really premium, almost like an automatic clutch vs a stick shift.
@@javixo1997 I think you are on to something and you may be correct about this, Like I said in my original comment, my friends Mamiya 7 II shutter button was definitely very sensitive and I don't think it's a matter of getting use to it. My Mamiya 7 II shutter button works perfect and there was no trying to get use to it. I have many many film cameras and can say that I feel that some 7II may have this problem because I did see others comment on this problem online.
Couldn't agree more!
This is on my wish list, how much did you end up getting it for?
Love your videos (all three of them). Now I have had a GA645wi and Contax G1, seems like I will spend another fortune!
I know a Leica M needs to happen at some point in my life…
WHY? You have to scan them anyway so you get a digital file. Other than the "romantic feeling" of shooting film how does it make sense? Do you not like money?
@@popularbehaviour Gladly I have already purchased a M8 five month ago!
@@genernator digitizing film is like taking a photo of a painting, all the character is in there. It’s definitely an expensive endeavour. Part of me thinks investing in a Fuji GFX would be smarter but I absolutely loathe editing photos!
@ that’s great, I think sticking with a single camera and really using it is a sound approach 👍
Loved the video! I once sold my Mamiya 7II and immediately felt a wave of seller's remorse. Thankfully, last year I came across a mint-condition grey Mamiya 7 (with a factory-upgraded viewfinder and strap lugs) here in Japan for a fantastic price. Needless to say, I’ll never part with this one!
@@MarcS4R that’s great to hear, use it for life!
These cameras were never cheap. But there was a time in the early 2000s when people were ditching film gear for stupid low prices. I think I paid the equivalent of $150 on a Pentax 67 with a 105 lens on it and about the same on a Mamiya C330 with four lenses. Around 2007. It was a nice time to buy cameras that you'd dreamed of owning but couldn't have afforded before even used.
We'll probably come to realise something similar about now as cameras begin to break down with age and what seems like an undesirable low-tier SLR becomes highly prized simply for being still functional.
@ the same thing happened with synthesizers and drum machines. Analog synths were replaced by digital, people dropped them for cheap and a new generation picked them up. It’s crazy how technology is always pushing forward.
Out-of-towner stealing an opportunity from me 😤😤 lol jk I can’t afford one rn even if I wanted one. Great find! I would love one of these someday. There’s a guy at the local photo center I go to toprint and he uses one of these. His photos are always breath taking
Maybe he’ll let you shoot some stuff with it?
Nice video dude
Thank you!
*Wake up babe, a new Popular Behaviour video just dropped*
Try 8x10. And I sold my Mamiya 7ii.
@@vangstr that’s a commitment!
@@popularbehaviour ha ha. It was as the old saying...Go big or go home.